Program Description

"One in ten older Americans, about 5 million individuals, are believed to experience abuse each year in the United States, according to the National Institute of Justice. But as few as one in 23 cases is reported. Elder abuse is preventable, but it requires research, education, advocacy and public awareness.
"centeronelderabuse.org

The 'Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect' workswith professionals in the areas of Law Enforcement, Legal, Judicial, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Services along with the general public for the cause of elder abuse prevention.

Some of the "Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect" programs include:

The Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST): is a multi-disciplinary group of public and private professionals who volunteer their time to advise Adult Protective Services (APS), the Ombudsmen, law enforcement and private attorneys on matters of adult financial abuse.

The Elder Death Review Team: educates agency members throughout the county, studies suspicious deaths. Team members educate one another about the current procedures for investigating suspicious elder deaths and the participation of different agencies.

The Elder Abuse Prevention Coalition: representatives from public and private agencies, including state programs, county and city governments, community service providers, law enforcement, legal community, and academic institutions, work together toward preventing and combating elder abuse in the Orange County area.

The "Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect" provides the following resources:

-Elder Abuse Prevention Campaign Tools for those looking to help stop elder abuse. including resources such as: 12 Things that Anyone Can Do Volunteer and Awareness Raising Ideas, Banners, Public Service Announcements, (PSA) Elder Abuse Facts. Tip sheets include:

The Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse & Neglect at the University of California, Irvine Program in Geriatrics publishes a free monthly Elder Abuse Newsletter called 'Elder Abuse Bytes' covering the latest information and news on topics such as elder abuse legislation, senior frauds scams, and other financial abuse crimes, elder abuse in long-term care and assisted living, the misuse of drugs and the problem of overmedicating in nursing homes and much more.

The "Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect" is known for its innovative approaches in fighting elder abuse. The center focuses on Elder Abuse Prevention & Neglect research and aims to bridge the gap between direct senior service and academics. source: centeronelderabuse.org